She set down the amphora before speaking and took a deep breath, suddenly made nervous by the foreigner’s stare.
‘This is a story known not only in Phalesia, but in all the Galean nations, from Tanus to Sarsica.’
Chloe faltered when she saw a smile creep up on Kargan’s face, flushed with drink.
‘Lord Kargan . . . ?’ Aristocles asked.
‘It is nothing,’ Kargan said. ‘Merely her accent. It sounds foolish on your men, but from a woman your speech is strangely attractive.’
She glanced at her father, who looked as if he was trying to frame a response, and then back to Kargan. The Ilean waved impatiently for her to continue.
Chloe went on with determination. ‘Long ago, the first men prayed to the god Aldus, asking him to make humans supreme of all creatures.’ Kargan frowned, but thankfully didn’t interrupt. ‘Aldus consulted with the other gods and an agreement was reached. The gods gave us mining, and taught us the use of gold, silver, copper, and iron, elevating us from the beasts.’
She drew another breath before going on.
‘But the gods made their own demands in return, by way of a pact. Led by Aldus, god of justice, they said that in return for their gift of knowledge we had to abide by ten laws, which Aldus wrote on tablets and put inside a golden ark.’
‘What are the laws?’ Kargan raised an eyebrow.
‘Aldus said he would not tell us the laws, but that they were self-evident. Anyone who could live by them of his own accord would be granted entry to paradise on his death.’
Kargan finished his cup of Sarsican wine in a gulp, refilling it himself. He became expansive, gesturing as he spoke. ‘And this is the ark on the cliff? Surely you must have opened it by now.’
‘No,’ Chloe said. ‘The pact states that if the ark is ever opened the wrath of the gods will come down on us all. Those already in the lands of paradise will be ejected, and none will be granted entry again. The knowledge to use metals would be taken away from us, and we would once more become as the beasts.’
‘The nature of the laws is a source of constant debate among our magi,’ Nilus explained.
‘I still think you should just open the ark and find out,’ Kargan said. When his words were greeted by expressions of horror, he laughed. ‘Ah, this wine is better,’ he said. ‘I will tell the sun king about what I see here. You mentioned trade, First Consul. What do you offer?’
‘Copper. Olive oil. Honey. Wool. Ceramics. Timber.’
‘What of iron? What is the quality of your weapons?’
In a sudden movement, stunning them all, Kargan sat upright as he drew his dagger from the scabbard at his waist and laid it on the table. ‘This is our best work. Show me your sword,’ he met Aristocles’ eyes.
Aristocles hesitated, creases forming on his brow, but finally he nodded. ‘Chloe?’
Chloe went to her father’s chambers at the back of the villa, by far the most sumptuous private quarters in the house, passing the new work the builders had just finished on the ceiling. She retrieved her father’s scabbarded sword from an ornate wooden chest and returned to the reception, holding it out in both hands for her father to take.
‘Draw it and lay it on the table,’ Kargan said.
The whisper of steel sounded as Aristocles unsheathed the weapon, revealing a bright, well-oiled blade with an edge kept sharp by the servants. The hilt of her father’s weapon was plainer than Kargan’s dagger, but it was as good a sword as silver could buy.
Kargan spent time comparing the two weapons. He lifted the sword and carried it out to the terrace, making some practice swings, while the consuls swapped bemused glances. Returning a moment later, he laid the sword back down next to the dagger and ran a finger along the edge of both blades. He balanced the sword on a finger to find the center of gravity and then rubbed his chin as he looked across the table at Aristocles.
‘This is a fine sword. The steel is good quality. Where is it made?’
‘It comes from Xanthos,’ Aristocles said.
‘Xanthos?’
‘The neighboring kingdom to the west, located between Phalesia and Sarsica.’
‘Hmm. It seems I have much to learn, but I am only here for a short time.’ He picked up the sword again, looking sideways along the steel, with his eye close to the blade. ‘May I have this?’
Stunned, Chloe waited for her father to react. Nilus opened his mouth, then closed it.
‘You may,’ Aristocles said tightly.
‘Tomorrow we will talk about payment for the use of your harbor. Your gift will ease negotiations.’
Kargan replaced the sword in its scabbard and then, straightening, he bowed to the two consuls of Phalesia.
‘I bid you good night.’
He left with a slight weave in his step, having put away a prodigious amount of wine.
Chloe’s father let out a breath.
6